Today’s Question:
What is your all-time favorite
SummerSlam match?
We have over 25 years to choose from, so have at it. To
start the discussion, jump to the end of this thread or hit the “Comments”
button. Otherwise stick around to talk about the Shield.
So which Shield member is going to have the most lasting
power? Which of the 3 is headed for stardom, and will still be there 5 years
from now? Seth Rollins has main event experience; he spent years on top of ROH
as Tyler Black. Roman Reigns is getting the rocket push, has Samoan blood, and
deep family connections … not to mention the height and build. And Dean Ambrose
has been the breakout since the Shield babyface turn, he’s got charisma coming
out his pores.
Darren: Roman Reigns. Why? a) Of the 3, which is
more likely to appeal to mainstream media/the masses? Which means, of course,
the WWE will force-feed him to us. Ambrose is ultra-talented, but can you
really see Ambrose on The Late Show with Jimmy Kimmel? b) The WWE and their
cookie-cutter formula won't capitalize on Ambrose's following and c) What other
options are there for Rollins or Ambrose? I'm taking an educated guess TNA wont
be around in 5 years
Mister_E_KindaBuzzedAllBecause:
I think that Reigns is the most likely to
be a long term upper tier guy. He’s got the look, he’s good enough in the ring,
and WWE is behind him. That good enough
in the ring bit is still sort of up in the air, as he’s mostly been protected
in multi-man situations, but I think that he’ll do ok. He should slide nicely
into the small tier of top guys who trade the title around.
Jason Clark: I think it's going to Reigns based on
injuries, or lack thereof. All three are roughly the same age to rounding
error, but Reigns's size will permit him to wrestle a style less conducive to
injury than Ambrose or Rollins. Plus, Reigns (debut 2010) has less mileage than
Ambrose (debut 2004) & Rollins (debut 2003).
So we start with the Roman Reigns camp. He’s the first who’s
being given an opportunity, and seems to have a good feeling for the wrestling
business. Whether or not he’s ready in singles competition is the big question,
as he has been one of the most well protected wrestlers over the last 20 years.
If they invested half the energy in a lot of the wasted opportunities over the
years, they might have a much deeper main event roster today (however, not you
Ken Kennedy). We should get our answers about Reigns over the next year. If he
can hold the fans, and eventually carry the belt credibly when he’s asked, then
he may be a made man.
UdonBelieve: I'm gonna go with Rollins here. A lot of
people here talk about how they want to see Reigns prove himself in an extended
1 on 1 match. I'm more interested in seeing him cut a couple promos on his own
that get me emotionally invested in a program. Ambrose is my favorite of the
three and a highlight of Raw but I think his current loose cannon persona keeps
him at upper mid-card at best.
Seth Rollins has been given the chance to run with the ball
before, albeit on a high level indy level. So far, he’s held his own on the
major stage, carrying himself like a star from his first appearance. He also
has a little daredevil in himself, with the stage dives during the Shield feud
with Evolution. Still, many of you aren’t feeling Rollins as a main event guy.
He has definitely fizzled since the heel turn, but 5 years is a long time and
stranger things have happened. For example, who would have imagined that Kofi
Kingston would be doing the exact same shtick, with absolutely 0 career progression
in either direction, for 7 consecutive years?
WLLYOUSTOP?!?: My hunch is that Dean Ambrose is the one who
will have the longest lasting legacy, if for no other reason than someone on
the booking committee is finally going to realize the parallels with Austin and
start building Ambrose that way.
Marv Cresto: I suspect that Ambrose will become a bigger
name even if Reigns goes on to hold more titles and win more main events.
Reigns will be given every single opportunity to get over, like a Cena. While
Ambrose will over time pick up the support of the majority of the fans, like a
Punk or Bryan. I think they could all benefit from some changes in their look,
the SWAT gear is weird when they're not a team.
Ambrose is the sentimental favorite on the BoD, as the
underdog maniac. He is clearly the guy the WWE expected the least out of, but
has produced the most since the split. His wild attacking of Rollins is
eventually going to grow old, however, and he’s going to need to find new ways
to channel his energy. Based on his worked “shoot” with Foley a couple of years
back, however, I have to believe he understands how to get a reaction when he
needs to, and there’s hope there.
Thanks for your answers yesterday. I’ll of course be back
tomorrow. Until then, have a great one.
Austin vs Angle from 2001. Despite the non-finish, I still think its a perfect match. Captured Austin's crazy paranoid persona so well and absolutely made Angle into a legit star.
ReplyDeleteHonorable mentions to TLC 1, HBK/HHH, and Cena/Bryan
Alicia Fox vs Melina.
ReplyDeleteits a three-way tie ...
ReplyDelete1. Rude-Warrior for the IC Title in 1989, totally made Warrior for good
2. Triple H-Rock ladder match in 1998, you could see both guys were headed for something
3. Cena-Bryan from last year - match was just awesome - best of Cena's career
Bret vs Perfect -- sentimental favorite forever.
ReplyDeletePunk vs Brock. I've watched that at least twenty times, and really can't shut up about it when awesome matches are brought up. Probably my favorite match of the past...I dunno, ten years?
ReplyDeletebryan/cena and punk/brock because I was there
ReplyDeleteEdge-Taker HitC minus the flames at the end. I loved after Taker won he noticed Edge stirring on the Titantron, turned around and made sure he was for realz dead.
ReplyDeleteHow has Rollins fizzled since the heel turn?
ReplyDeleteIt might not be the best match, but HBK/HHH told the best story with the best announcing. People crapped on it because it was at the peak of the HHH overkill, but it's pro wrestling at its best.
ReplyDeleteShawn Michaels vs. HHH. No one knew how Shawn would hold up, and man, you FELT those first couple of back breakers. Shawn played his role perfectly, and HHH was absolutely despicable, just as he should have been.
ReplyDeleteHBK-Razor ladder match in 95, I think. I have a soft spot for those early ladder matches, though.
ReplyDeleteBret vs. Owen cage match. Unreal watching it live as both guys built one of the most suspenseful matches ever.
ReplyDeleteCM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar - SummerSlam 13
ReplyDeleteUltimate Warrior vs Rick Rude from Summerslam 1989. I LOVE THAT MATCH!
ReplyDeleteTLC 1. It's probably still my favorite TLC match. Even after watching it 10 times I still get surprised.
ReplyDeleteLoved the Rey/Kurt Angle match - the perfect start to a PPV
ReplyDeleteI must be the only one who finds that match a dull bore.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Bret rip his singlet off at the end of the match? I've never understood that ...
ReplyDeleteThis. A moment in time when all was right. Well, except Perfect's back.
ReplyDeleteHBK/HHH...the comeback "match". Awesome story, awesome crowd, awesome commentary, awesome brawl.
ReplyDeleteHonky Tonk Man vs. The Ultimate Warrior. Words cannot describe how much I hated the Honky Tonk Man as a kid. Actually, there are words: I despised that fat, no-talent Elvis impersonator who stole Ricky Steamboat's title, shoved Ms. Elizabeth to the ground, and couldn't beat anyone without help from Jimmy Hart or the Hart Foundation. Watching Warrior squash HTM like a bug after answering his open challenge (and seeing HTM's false bravado turn into panic once Warrior's music hit) was a glorious experience. I still watch the match at least once a year and smile every time Warrior hits the big splash.
ReplyDeleteI could see how some people would view it as that. It is a very technical cage match. It wasn't as "brutal" as a typical cage match back then as much as it was about using the cage as a prop to add suspense.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably in the extreme minority on this one, but Orton-Benoit from the 2004 Rumble. Orton's heel run with Evolution was perfectly done, giving him the support from the crowd to be a believable champion. A solid match, with an RKO out of no where to really sell the move as that much of a game changer. Shame that title reign fell so flat after.
ReplyDeleteIt was scary how good Shawn was after such a long break.
ReplyDeleteSteve Austin vs. Kurt Angle, 2001
ReplyDeleteI'm with you
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be tough but I can rule out anything after 98. I have to go either Bret/Perfect or Demos/Harts '90. Someone help me decide which one should be my favorite.
ReplyDeletePunk v. Lesnar, and the gap between it and No. 2 would probably be bigger than the gap between No. 2 and No. 10 on my list.
ReplyDeleteBut for funsies, this would roughly be the rest of my list off the top of my head:
2. HHH v. HBK, '02
3. HHH v. Rock, IC title ladder match, '98
4. Bryan v. Cena, WWE title, '13
5. Austin v. Angle, WWF title, '01
6. TLC, '00
7. Rock v. Lesnar, WWE title, '02
8. Bret v. Bulldog, IC title, '92
9. Austin v. Undertaker, WWF title, '98
10. HBK v. Hogan, '05
My favorite....I'm gonna go with a different approach: 2001 - Angle v. Austin. Austin was injured, and they had botched the Invasion, so I wasnt expecting much. Instead we got a classic bloodbath, an awesome comeback with Angle, and the absolute greatest screwjob ending I've ever seen. Nick Patrick basically going nah.....you're DQ-ed had me cracking UP laughing...and it fit with the storyline. Maybe Bret-Perfect or Bret-DBS was better. Maybe you liked one of the ladder matches, but this was probably my favorite.
ReplyDeleteMr Perfect vs Bret at summerslam 91 is my favorite match of all time. Watched it like 25 times as a little kid on the tape from my local video store. Perfect made Hart a mega star in that match. Funny how now the ic title is a joke.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing match.
ReplyDeleteProbably Bulldog/Bret at 92, Hart/Perfect at 91 and Punk/Brock from last year.
ReplyDeleteMy hidden gem award goes to Rockers & Santana vs. Martel & Rougeaus in 1989.
Can't get enough of that much. Their KOTR '93 match was just as good, but Bret winning the title triumphantly and hugging his parents was awesome.
ReplyDeleteBest cage match ever.
ReplyDeleteRewatching now, you can hear the OOOOOOHs from the crowd after two simple backbreakers.
ReplyDeleteI liked the match but the "escape the cage" drama didn't really intrigue me.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's a toss up between HHH vs HBK or Test vs. Shane McMahon .
ReplyDeleteYeah, I always feel like KOTR is a BETTER match but the SS battle had the better story and meant more, which bumps it.
ReplyDeletePlus which accompanying promo do you prefer? Mean Gene stirring the shit and goading them into an argument at KOTR or Lord Alfred yanking the mike away from Stu and shoving his way into the family celebration at SS?
Even the DQ finish doesn't really detract from it. My favorite moment might actually be at the very beginning in Austin's entrance, where he just throws the title down the ramp as if to say FUCK THIS, LET'S GO, MOTHERFUCKER. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI've been avoiding watching matches on the Network that I have on DVD to force myself to watch new stuff, but that's a show I'll have to watch again this month. Probably my third-favorite Summerslam ever behind '02 and '13.
I've always loved Bret vs Owen in the cage.
ReplyDeleteKOTR for sure lol
ReplyDeleteI love how he gets them going and then is like "Will you two stop, that's enough" afterwards.
ReplyDeleteMr. Perfect vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart from SummerSlam '91. That was my the first PPV of my fandom and Mr. Perfect is my all-time favorite wrestler, so both that show and that match hold a special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I'm also in the camp that thinks their rematch at King of the Ring '93 is better, but this match is far more historic, both in terms of actual WWF/E history, and my own personal fandom.
Nah, you're not. I wouldn't argue too much with those who love it because I get its appeal, but it doesn't do it for me at all either.
ReplyDeleteI actually think this is a case where the DQ was a good finish. Austin was just killing angle and couldn't keep him down so he freaked out and tried hard to get a DQ. It totally made angle look awesome, Austin look like the paranoid heel (who was still super dangerous in the ring) and made me want to see a rematch badly. That's one hell of a match.
ReplyDeleteToo many to choose. I'll go short list style: Punk vs Lesnar 2013
ReplyDeleteCena vs Bryan 2013
Bret vs Owen cage match 1994
TLC 2000
Bret vs Perfect 1991
Mega Powers vs Mega Bucks 1988
Hogan vs HBK 2005
Angle vs Austin 2001
And one of my all time faves
Brain Busters vs Hart Foundation 1989
They did a similar thing with Bret and Piper at WM VIII.
ReplyDeleteThat's about how I feel. Meh, nothing special, pretty boring, but if some folks like it, it's not terrible or anything.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget that Summerslam did give us a pantless Miss Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteI said the same thing below. The kotr match was better between those two, and there have been dozens of other matches at summerslam that were better wrestling matches but for various reasons its actually my favorite wrestling match ever.
ReplyDeleteOf course there was only one piece of balogna, but I was hungry anyway!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that WWE expected the least from Ambrose out of the three. I think that'd have been Rollins which is precisely why they turned him so he didn't get lost in the shuffle and had instant Authority association heat. Ambrose would've been the natural choice for a turn because he's such a great heel and talker but he obviously gets it either way.
ReplyDeleteYup...just saw your comment and agree 100%. There's just something about that match. MSG, Hart's first singles title, Perfect's subsequent sabbatical...it just totally stands the test of time in a way few matches today can.
ReplyDeleteThe correct answer is Highway to Hell: Austin and Taker.
ReplyDeleteWatching HBK/HHH again, it just proves how much blood can add to a match like this. When you're in a proverbial blood feud, it just adds so much. Imagine what Rollins/Ambrose would be like at SS with blood.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I've ever actually seen the rematch from the next month. Is it worth a watch?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it can add something to a match like that, but I don't think the lack of blood really takes anything away. It's a special effect.
ReplyDeleteThe Unforgiven match is pretty awesome as well, especially with the Angle celebration at the end.
ReplyDeleteWarrior squashing Honky Tonk Man, hands down. It's a moment that'll never be beaten, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteHere's all these guys like Beefcake that for a year tried to overcome Honky's tricks and schemes for over a year. NO ONE could get through him.
Then Warrior rushes in, forgets any plans or anything and just ploughs through him.
I was watching the promo for that video with the song playing and damn is it awesome. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteROH did a great homage last year with Ciampa/Taven for the TV title.
ReplyDeleteRight, it's not the foundation for a good match or anything like that, it just adds something to a match along with the announcing. Seeing the blood and listening to JR call this match, it's no wonder they are in the mess they're in -- there's nothing or nobody getting across the passion.
ReplyDeleteHas summerslam had more great matches (at least from a work rate perspective) than wrestlemania? Because I think it might have.
ReplyDeleteDuggan/Volkoff vs the Orient Express SS 1990. TOUGH GUY HOOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteHBK HHH. A match with low expectations that blew them completely away in every, single, way. It felt almost like that moment in Empire Strikes Back when that little annoying Fozzy-bear sounding thing in the swamp, turns out to be a wise jedi master.
ReplyDeleteNo one expected to Shawn to bring it how he did, but boy oh boy did he bring it.
Its very good at least at **** match. But its definitely not as good as the summerslam match. But its still great and finishes off the story. Check it out sometime for sure.
ReplyDeleteMan every little detail in HBK/HHH is perfect, from the facial expressions to the announcing to the crowd. "In 25 years I've never seen more courage" *HHH hits HBK in the back with the sledgehammer*
ReplyDeleteJust gold.
What about HBK no-selling the back work?
ReplyDeleteAustin/Angle
ReplyDeleteEh valid point but he sure as hell sold it at the end.
ReplyDeleteIm gonna go with rock vs brock lesnar 2002. The whole show was awesome. At the time I didn't think they built lesnar up well enough to beat the rock but the hot crowd that night said different. It was a hot crowd, nonstop action, and although rock broke the sharpshooter in the match cuz heyman was distracting the ref, it was still pretty much a straight up clean battle with the new monster overthrowing the rock. The match starts with rock trying to repeatedly punch lesnar but after a couple, lesnar just grabs rock and over head suplexes his ass. That was the story of the whole match was rocks electrifying intensity not being good enough to beat the stronger bigger meaner younger guy. The main reason its my favorite though is cuz its one of the few matches I can still watch today and enjoy the WHOLE match just like when it was live
ReplyDeleteI hope Bryan watches that HBK/HHH match to prep for his return. If he can come up with spots to safely work the head/neck area, people will be flipping out.
ReplyDeleteThere was a stretch where SummerSlam was better than Mania each year... you can argue 1995-2000 that SS had better overall shows.
ReplyDeletePlus I'd say the last 3 years it was better and it could top it this year too (for match quality)
ReplyDeleteIts one of those matches that I loved and thought it was maybe the best ever at the time. But watching it again its kinda slow and too long
ReplyDelete2011 definitely... 2013 as well, yep.
ReplyDelete2012 I would have to go back and watch. Will be tough for this year to top XXX.
I feel that gets overlooked as a Warrior/Hogan type build and feud. Because they fought so many times after and even a couple before, you forget what a huge deal it was that they were competing for the title at that show.
ReplyDeleteCompared to the current style I see your point but every move had a purpose and meant something. It wasn't just a bunch of moves for the sake of moves.
ReplyDeleteO yea it had great storytelling
ReplyDeleteBut the story goes off the rails when he makes his comeback
ReplyDeleteBret Hart winning the IC Title from Mr Perfect at Summerslam 1991 is my favorite moment. The entire card for that Summerslam was fun, but this match really stood out to me. I was a 10 year old kid at this point just getting into wrestling and this moment pretty much sealed the deal on my fandom and Bret Hart becoming my favorite wrestler.
ReplyDeleteTLC 2000
ReplyDeleteUltimate Warrior destroying Honky Tonk Man for the IC title, SummerSlam 88. Just so beautiful, after a year and a half of this joke cheating his way to keep the belt, he gets creamed in seconds by Warrior to a massive pop, still my all-time favorite mark-out moment.
ReplyDeleteHunter vs Shawn.
ReplyDeleteAustin-Angle, 2001. A lot of people bag on the ending but I love it. Austin was a belt-hungry, desperate, complete and utter ass and it shouldn't be any other way. His wild-eyed stares and the demented fury he took in slapping Kurt around were glorious, as was his breakdown and frenetic effort to throw the match once he realized he didn't have the chops to put Angle away. And "You sonuvabitch, YOU ROBBED ME! NO... NO NO!!" is some of the best righteous indignation you'll ever see.
ReplyDeleteShawn vs. Razor - the ladder rematch.
ReplyDeleteMy choice has to be Undertaker vs Edge in the HitC match of 08.
ReplyDeleteNot the best match but. Cena vs. Orton from 2007 is one of my personal favorite matches in SummerSlam history. Yep. I like an Orton-Cena match!
ReplyDeleteOrton-Christian from 2011 should get more love than it does because that was such a great brawl and was actually pretty violent.
Hell, I'll just keep up the motif and add in 2 other Orton SummerSlam matches I really enjoy: 2004 vs. Benoit and 2005 vs. Undertaker.
Also Undertaker-Edge HIAC 2008 is great.
But my favorite SummerSlam match is far and away Shawn-Triple H.
In a vacuum, plenty of Cena/Orton matches are really good individually.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite, Angle / Austin has been taken and explained well by a number of posters so I'm gonna chime in with matches from three consecutive Summerslams.
ReplyDeleteCena / Orton, 2007. WAIT WAIT LET ME EXPLAIN. I know they have fought a bazillion times since, but this was (I think) their first pay per view showdown, and I love it because it perfectly highlights what can happen when two talented crowd-workers are treated to an arena that is PSYCHED. Every little thing in this match mattered, and for as much as we love to joke on the blog about Orton and his headlocks, it is quite remarkable that something as simple as said headlock had the crowd going as crazy. Add in the big fight feel, the unpredictability of the outcome (Cena had been champ for almost a year, Orton was built very well the 3 months prior), and how much of a legit threat the punt was, and this was the definition of a "Main Event"
Cena / Batista 2008. Another match where I honestly had no idea who was going over (compared to the other 3 major matches on the card, which were great but very predictable in their outcomes). If I'm not mistaken, this match was only like thirteen minutes long, but it WORKED in this situation in that both wrestlers were all: "fuck this let's throw our biggest power moves at each other and may the best man win."
CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy: In a world where the WWE had become saturated with ladder matches, HBK and Jericho in '08, and Punk and Hardy here reinvigorated the match type by adding something previously thought impossible: story. As a personal element, I love CM Punk and as a fan at the time I didn't think it could get much better than him winning the last match at Summerslam. That huge swanton is nothing short of gorgeous, and the buildup to the match has been talked about repeatedly as some of the finest heel work in WWE history (heel is actually right, believes he's right, is so obnoxious in his views he's hated anyways). Lastly, the Taker spot at the end was super cool.
melina vs alicia fox
ReplyDelete2012 I'd have to definitely say Mania > Summerslam. Summerslam sucked that year and Mania was pretty good if top-heavy (Punk/Jericho, HHH/Taker and Cena/Rock were all awesome, everything else was meh).
ReplyDeleteOK, chick from the 2011 season of Tough Enough.
ReplyDeleteWas just reading all of your comments. Goddam Summer Slam had great matches. I had forgotten just how many all time classics there have been.
ReplyDeletegirl bye!
ReplyDeletei'm the bomb dot com!
where's vinnie?
Top 3 Summerslam Matches:
ReplyDeleteHBK/HHH Unsanctioned match 2002
Rock/Brock 2002
TLC1 2000
HM
Taker/Mankind Boiler Room Brawl 96
Bret/Owen 94
Perfect/Bret 91
quit downvoting me, stone cold
ReplyDeleteBret/Perfect in 1991. One of the things that clinched my life-long fandom.
ReplyDeleteYour description of HTM made me legitimately LOL, well done, and TRUE!
ReplyDeleteShit, Punk/Hardy and Batista/Cena are two matches that absolutely should've been on my list.
ReplyDeleteI just wish they'd done the Taker thing the next night on Raw, or after Punk beat Hardy in their final match on Smackdown. A heel celebrating to end Mania might not be OK, but Summerslam? Well, shit, they've done it the last two years, so why not? Plus, heel/face winning aside, the match itself deserved the show-closing moment rather than basically throwing it aside for Taker to get the last thing in.
I'd go with TLC 2000, just insanity all match. I'd also say Austin-Angle because of how insanely over Angle was and they had finally solidified Austin as the top paranoid but psychotic heel.
ReplyDeleteOoh, a tough one. I think it's a three-way tie between TLC 1, which is the best of the Hardy/Dudley/E&C trilogy, HHH/HBK at '02, and Punk/Lesnar from last year.
ReplyDeleteI remember back when I first watched Summerslam '02 with my friends, for whatever reason I was rooting for HHH in the match, and I remember acting like a douche when Triple H attacked Michaels after the match. Oh, to be 10 again.
Speaking of which, that match was pretty much perfect everything from the performance, to the selling, to the announcing from both JR and King, and the crowd. The thing that made it work was the fact that it was a crowd that was clearly familiar with Shawn Michaels - if they were in some southern marktown I don't think we would've seen reactions as visceral as the ones when HBK did his old spots, like when he tossed out the ladder, and the pop for the kip-up in particular was surreal.
And HHH played the slimy scumbag role to perfection. His stuff after the match is pretty much some of the best heel work you'll ever see. He was such a cowardly sore loser, and the spiteful, ironic crotch chop and shameless evil grin as he walks off were perfect. And it has one of my all time JR calls - "How can he be from this planet? Do you have no conscience, do you have no heart, do you have no soul?! Ya son of a bitch, do you realize what you've just done?!"
I'd say they were just about even in '98 but yeah, I agree.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me REALLY miss JR on the mic....I think that's why a lot of us are so down on the product, the announcers rarely care about what's going on in the ring, and when they do care, it sounds forced and fake, vs JR where he made you care, kicking and screaming.
ReplyDeleteHHH/HBK 2002. Every answer is always Shawn, because he is the best. The best part is when he has HHH on the table at ring side. As he climbs the ropes to dive down on him, he does the twisty finger at the temple thing as if to say I'm still crazy after all these years.
ReplyDeleteSo, does he just not interact with us, outside of picking quotes for the next day?
ReplyDeleteExactly. JR seemed personally invested in the faces' livelihood and wellbeing, while the other guys like Cole are just announcers doing a job and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteIn that match, Shawn takes a suplex from the inside of the ring to the outside floor, and hits the metal railing on the way down.
ReplyDeleteSummerSlam 91 was very good overall, actually. It's kind of a microcosm for 1991...not everyone looks at it as the greatest year, but there was lots of good stuff regardless. Perfect vs. Bret, of course(which started his singles push finally), but Flair was coming, Jake just became an evil SOB, Sid was here, LOD was going to complete the tag team title hat trick, Macho Man was involved in some interesting stuff, Bossman/Mountie was fun, and so forth and so on. Meanwhile, WCW was rebuilding after the Flair Protest, and GWF was here and the "alternative" company for the time being.
ReplyDeleteLet's give some love to Demolition v. Hart Foundation, 1990, two out of three falls. Complete with the LOD run-in at the end to throw a monkey wrench into Demolition's plans to keep switching off all day, the Harts playing the underdog roles to perfection, and the debut of Crush as an ornery bad boy who could kill you. The heat was off the charts for this one, even in Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteAnd GWF would go on to become the legendary promotion that I watched repeats of on Sunday afternoons on ESPN Classic while nursing a hangover.
ReplyDeleteIt really is, I could talk about this match all day because it's one of my favorites, and one of the few PPVs I actually bought back in the day just to see HBK. You had a smark crowd that knew HBK's back injury story so ANY contact with the back you knew would get a huge reaction. The crowd WANTED HBK to perform well, was sick and tired of HHH, it all just worked perfectly.
ReplyDeleteupvote for bomb dot com
ReplyDeleteThis should be talked about way more in greatest opening matches
ReplyDeleteSummerslam 2002 is (at least IMO) shockingly close to Wrestlemania 17, GAB '89 as the greatest PPV of all time, it's a lot closer than you think.
ReplyDeleteProbably going to have to go with Angle vs. Austin from Summerslam 2001. The nonfinish sucked something fierce, but the rest of the match was a pure gold star on intensity alone. Honorable mentions go to Undertaker vs. Edge in the Cell from 2008 and Punk vs. Lesnar from 2013.
ReplyDeleteGotta go with the Hart Foundation and Demolition from 1990. Just loved the Harts as a kid.
ReplyDeleteTaker/Edge rocked. And really, it was the last "true" Hell in a Cell match before they went PG and ruined the gimmick
ReplyDeleteLike I mentioned above, the last true Cell match
ReplyDeleteAnd he's got the talent to pull off somethjng similar too
ReplyDeleteDiesel vs. Mabel, 95.
ReplyDeleteAnd then fucked up with Ciampa somehow
ReplyDeleteI hope he just retires.
ReplyDeleteBoth of the big matches from sumerslam 2013.
ReplyDeleteHBK vs HHH is pretty much the ultimate showcase of why Shawn is the GOAT.
So the same stuff everyone else is picking for mw
Bret said they focused on the "escape the cage" aspect b/c they were told they couldn't get color. Made sense to play that part up if they couldn't go the brutality route.
ReplyDeleteIf he's in real danger, then I agree.
ReplyDeleteIf he can no longer preform, I agree.
But if he has the passion and ability for a Shawn Michaels style return--I want to see it
My choices would be:
ReplyDeleteBryan/Cena 2013
BrainBusters/Harts 1989
Bret/Owen 1994
One I haven't seen anyone mention yet is Test/Shane from 1999, SHOULD have made Test a main event player for a short while at least, but then he ran into HHH. (NO, NOT A BURIAL. Just unlucky for the dead guy.)
One of my all-time sentimental favorite pay-per-views was SummerSlam 98. Highway to Hell - great theme song, terrific build, and good storyline blowoffs.
ReplyDeleteAs a huge DX mark at the time, I was ALL IN on HHH chasing The Rock, and their ladder match was killer. The pop when Hunter unhooked the belt is one of the underrated great ones of all time. Hunter then went off and had knee surgery, and DX slowly spiraled downhill until their eventual breakup, and then the awesome heel reunion in 2000. This event was their face pinnacle.
On a personal note, I was in high school and had just moved to a new city. I found a fellow wrestling dork on the swim team, and we decided to split this PPV. We bonded over this event, I moved again about a year later, but we remained friends, ended up in each other's wedding parties, and still talk frequently to this day. I think of this match as the start of our friendship.
Because he ignores backwork to pop the crowd with a kip up?
ReplyDeleteTest vs Shane from SS 99
ReplyDeletePlease find me a single WWE top face who hasn't just shrugged off damadge for a big comeback in a big match
ReplyDeleteI was at a RAW a few weeks before that and one of my biggest live mark out moments is Stone Cold backing a hearse into the arena and having Highway to Hell blaring while he then unloads a casket full of beer.
ReplyDeleteThe whole first half of the match is HHH beating HBK's back to the point JR and the crowd is worried he's going to cripple him.
ReplyDeleteThen he just kips up and jumps around like nothing happened. Renders the first half kind of pointless
The point is that his back was tested. HHH targeted the weak spot for an easy win.
ReplyDeleteBut Shawn was holding the cards. He was tougher then given credit. His back stood up against the onslaught.
That kip-up was when he announced he was not some has been. He was BACK.
He took a chair to the back. Multiple backbreakers. A backbreaker through a chair. He should not be jumping up and down moments later.
ReplyDeleteHe was fucking crazy. Didn't you see his gesture before he dove off the top rope and through the table? Even he admitted he was crazy!
ReplyDeleteBret Hart-Mr. Perfect from SummerSlam '91. Commentary is off the charts and the match just has a ton of energy.
ReplyDeleteBrainbusters/Harts is one of the more underrated openers in history.
ReplyDeleteI love 1991 WWF. Solid PPV's that year with the exception of Survivor Series.
ReplyDeleteDon't buy a guy can get a burst of adrenaline from the crowd to temporarily overcome the back issues? That's been like a staple of wrestling from the beginning of time.
ReplyDeleteHart Foundation vs Demolition, Summer Slam 1990. Sure there have beer matches, but that's my favorite.
ReplyDeleteMichaels/Ramon 1995- Focused on storytelling and psychology rather than crazy bumps this time around, resulting in a much better match.
ReplyDeleteCena/Punk 2011- Why is this not more highly regarded?
Gurerro/Mysterio 2005- Yes it's an overbooked mess in the service of an awful storyline. But the action itself is great.
Warrior/Rude 1989- As a young mark there was nothing I wanted to see more than Rude being taken down a peg.
Flair/Foley 2006- A blood-soaked garbage classic with Flair in full-on crazy old man mode.
That's mine also. The heat was awesome
ReplyDeleteWarrior/Rude will always have a place in my heart for Jesse Ventura going apeshit on Schiavone. Worth the entire price of the VHS tape.
ReplyDeleteSee you on WWE TV in 10 months.
ReplyDeleteAustin/Angle. Best moment of the match: Angle dumps Austin to the floor, but has had his ass kicked so much that Austin simply sneaks ALL THE WAY AROUND THE RING to catch him from behind with the 3rd Stunner. Probably one of my favorite heel subtleties of all time.
ReplyDeleteIf that match had a clean finish with a bloodied Angle going over after kicking out of 3 stunners, it would be up there with Austin/Hart for me.
He overcomes them for the entire match. He's only felled when he gets hit in the back again
ReplyDeleteCena-Punk should be in the conversation because work rate isn't everything. KEVIN NASH.
ReplyDeleteThe roar for Michaels entrance is unreal.
ReplyDeleteFavorite? Warrior-Savage from 92. Flair and Perfect's shenanigans get me every time.
ReplyDeleteMegaPowers vs. MegaBucks, for sentimental reasons.
ReplyDeleteFirst time some of us saw panties.
ReplyDeleteSummerslams that were better than Mania. (IMO)
ReplyDelete1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2013.
"What does that mean? You can SHOOT somebody outside the ring, as long as it's outside the ring?"
ReplyDelete"Well ah..."
"YOU KNOW YOUR EVEN DUMBER THEN MONSOON!!! I THOUGHT GORILLA WAS THE STUPIDST PERSON ALIVE. YOUR EVEN DUMBER THEN HIM!!!"
I don't know if someone said below but Cena/Batista in 08 and Cena/Orton 07 were great matches. The first Orton/Cena match was damn great,Orton was a legit threat to Cena's reign. Batista/Cena was probably one of the best matches in less than 15 minutes that I've seen,just two big guys giving everything they have.
ReplyDeleteGiving the title to Jay Lethal.
ReplyDeleteAnd then they nonsensically had Angle turn heel a few weeks later, and then reveal he was a WWF mole in the Alliance, but somehow he and Austin double-turned.......I still don't really get it thirteen years later.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it might not be how the real world works but...its been the formula of wrestling since at least the 1980's...
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's not that Trips hadn't fucked his back.
ReplyDeleteIt's that Shawn didn't care. So then HHH hit him again and reveals how fragile his comback win really was.
Tough tough choice as Summerslam has given us so many great matches but I got to go with TLC 1 from Summerslam 2000.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know what they did. I watched in disbeleif live.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand the love affair with Lethal. He's peaked! He peaked at pretty good and has slid to "ok worker I guess"
Now Ciampa is doing jack shit while Lethal and TAVEN fight over the belt.
Taven getting curvestomped was supposed to make him the star? ARGH
TLC 1 was actually my answer to this question.
ReplyDeleteAs for HHH/HBK from SS 2002, the laugh HHH had after the match was the apex of the evil HHH character. And as someone who watched all the ppvs from 2002 and early 2003, the wwe re-used that HHH smile with a crimson mask for months and months. Every HHH video package had that image on it.
Bret/Bulldog at Summerslam 92 cemented my fandom, so that's the sentimental choice for me, although I probably prefer TLC 1 or HHH/HBK. Test/Shane is a left-of-centre pick, but I love that match.
ReplyDeleteWas just coming to post this, that match has an intensity level that I can't remember seeing in any other match ever. Just two top-rate talented workers beating the living SHIT out of each other, and the psychology of the cowardly Austin not being able to get himself disqualified despite his best efforts is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNot a great match but it was good to see the white guys get a win in a big fight.
ReplyDeleteI love Shawn-HHH, it's ***** to me, not much could change that. It's probably my #1 for this poll. I have ONE nitpick, and that's Shawn winning with a leverage pin.
ReplyDeleteI guess you could say that HBK was desperate and just wanted to prove that he still had "it", but this was a blood feud where both guys wanted to maim each other (and tried to throughout the match) simply getting the pin seemed unimportant.
Again though, it's a nitpick. I never even considered it until recently. Haven't read all the comments yet, so not sure if it was mentioned otherwise
Some are criticizing it because Shawn stopped selling the back. I agree with the crowd who says babyface adrenaline rush no sell comebacks are a looooooong time staple of the w/wwf/e and I personally love that match.
ReplyDeleteIts been going on since at least Bob Backlund.
ReplyDeletePerfect's idea; I guess he figured if this was the end if his run, let Bret take the singlet, which was his identity.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those are the same people that mark out when somebody in ROH or Japan kicks out of a finisher at 1, hits a lariat and collapses for a double count spot
ReplyDeleteYeah, my ONE quibble is that he didn't hit the sweet chin music. The crowd was begging for that.
ReplyDeleteBret/Lawler at Summerslam '93. I was nine years old at the time and a total Hitman mark. It was the ultimate "I love the good guy and hate the bad guy" match for me and Lawler got what was coming to him.
ReplyDeleteHow about 1996 and 1997? I think those could be argued.
ReplyDeleteThey did a great job building the "Big Match" feel for Cena-Batista. Hope they can pull that off with Brock-Cena next month.
ReplyDeleteHas to be Cena/Punk from 2011. I was there live in the Staples Center and that was one of the greatest crowd experiences I've ever been a part of.
ReplyDeleteSummerslam 92 was the first ppv that I ever watched live, so that show holds a special place for me. Bret/Bulldog is obviously a classic but I also love HBK/MARTEL. As a kid, I had never seen a heel vs heel match before and the whole dynamic was great with both guys getting pissed that the other muffed their hair and whatnot. One of my favorites.
The Stooges run in and babyface pop get me every single time
ReplyDeleteWatching it live I loved it. But the more I watched it, it just kills the match. Again, what's the point of the match if he's just going to jump around like he's fine?
ReplyDeleteThat same show people freaked out over Edge spearing Guerrero despite his shoulder being worked on the whole match, but with HBK it's "adrenaline."
ReplyDeleteIt's not. It's simply poor selling
Hey, you're entitled to your opinion.
ReplyDeleteBut it means that you have to hate nearly every wwe main event ever. Hulk ups. Stone Cold spring to life even after a war. Any match John Cena has had ever.
I love getting realistic selling of damage, but it's BY FAR the exception.
Seriously this critizism of of HBK disqualifies you from liking most of the biggest matches ever.
HBK had missed four years of wrestling due to a fucked up back.
ReplyDeleteHis back is worked over the entire match. But he hits one big move and pops up and jumps around like it's nothing.
The story of most WWE matches is not guy comes back from serious injury that cost him four years of his career
Good call with that one.
ReplyDeleteYou mean Cameron?
ReplyDeleteHaven't watched KOTR match in years
ReplyDeleteThose back breakers were vicious
ReplyDeleteCan't say there's any wrong answer to the question of "Out of all these 5-star matches, what's the best one?" Soooo many great matches over the decades, but I might overall go with Cena-Bryan. Killer match, hot crowd, and Bryan PINNED CENA CLEAN.
ReplyDeleteI believe there's a spot in the diva's division for you.
ReplyDeletePunk-Cena to unify the titles. Great build, great match.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena vs. Randy Orton in 2007. Cena was closing in on 1 year as WWE Champion, having fantastic matches with veterans and spoonfeeding the rookies. Orton was settling into sociopath-mode having just punted HBK, RVD, and Dusty Rhodes.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that Cena vs. Orton has been reduced to a side-joke, because this match is their finest. The crowd is split, hot and just as ready for for Orton to win his first WWE title as they are for Cena to keep on rolling. The match is crisp and exciting - they don't pull out anything crazy but it's loaded with subtlety that JR and King pick up on. The opening headlock exchanges, for example, pops the crowd in a simple way that some Indy guys can't figure out. I honestly think this match is a masterpiece as it mixes a focused story with two personalities. If it had a better ending and Cena vs. Orton wasn't done to death, this would be remembered fonder. I love rematching this one.
I think things like that are subject to drama. If Eddie works over Edge's shoulder for 10 mins and then he just gets Speared and loses, there's almost nothing for the viewer to get into. Nevermind that it may be illogical, but there's no drama to it.
ReplyDeleteIf HHH works over Shawn's back of 10 mins and Shawn kips up, it has the benefit of a well publicised injury and an impressive, nostalgic spot that people wanted to see. If it makes the story more suspenseful, why not do it? Plus the match doesn't end there so it's not as blunt and unforgivable.
Spot on, plus that was his first high profile wrestling match in 4 years, there was bound to be some ring rust from some of the technical points, but like I said before, babyfaces hulk up all the time, doesn't bother me one bit in this match.
ReplyDeleteRandy Orton vs Some Guy in 2004.
ReplyDeleteNexus vs Team WWE in 2010
Rock vs Triple H vs Angle in 2000
"Some are criticizing it because Shawn stopped selling the back."
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much that he stopped selling the back, it's that he stopped selling the back after HHH brutalized his back with a steel chair in many different ways.
I get that. But I dont mind the wwe superman no sell comebacks
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I mock the others for it too, but lets not kid ourselves and think HBK is somehow an exception to the rule.
ReplyDeleteTLC I. Everyone loves a good train wreck and those six beat the hell out of each other for our entertainment.
ReplyDeleteWarrior/Rude Summerslam '89. Really good match for the IC title, hot East Rutherford crowd, and Jesse's gun commentart seals the deal. I never get tired of watching it.
ReplyDeleteAnother forgotten gem is Kurt Angle/Rey Mysterious from Summerslam 2002. They packed a ton into 9 minutes.
CM Punk. Seriously? All the Summerslams in all the years, with all the great matches and icons of pro wrestling and you pick a CM Punk match. He is a hack.
ReplyDeletetotally does not get enough love. Also Rey vs Dolph leading off SS2009 showed me that Zigs could go and wasnt just a joke.
ReplyDeleteI think both of those SS were better. 96 was a good WM with the Iron Man match and Taker vs Diesel vs HBK vs Vader and the Boilerroom Brawl and 97 was Austin vs Hart and the streetfight vs a pretty good top to bottom card (minus gang warz) topped by Bret vs Taker with HBK as ref.
ReplyDeleteName a ***** match where the gap in psychology is THAT OBVIOUS.
ReplyDelete